Pilar Lorengar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pilar Lorengar
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| Born |
Lorenza Pilar García Seta
16 January 1928 Zaragoza, Kingdom of Spain
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| Died | 2 June 1996 (aged 68) Berlin, Germany
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| Occupation | Soprano singer |
| Years active | 1949–1991 |
| Organization | Deutsche Oper Berlin |
| Title | Kammersängerin |
| Spouse(s) | Jürgen Schaff |
| Awards | Order of Merit of Berlin |
Pilar Lorengar (born Lorenza Pilar García Seta, January 16, 1928 – June 2, 1996) was a famous Spanish singer. She was a soprano, which means she sang with a very high voice. Pilar was especially known for her beautiful singing in opera and a Spanish type of musical play called Zarzuela.
People loved her voice because it was strong and clear. She had a special sound, often described as youthful. She also had a unique vibrato, which is a slight, quick change in pitch that makes a voice sound richer.
Contents
Becoming a Singer
Pilar Lorengar was born in a city called Zaragoza in Spain. When she was very young, she sang on a radio show for kids. This was her first step into music!
At 14, she started taking formal music lessons. Later, she moved to Barcelona to study at a music school there. To pay for her lessons, she sang in different places using a secret name, Loren Arce.
She also studied in Madrid, Spain, and later in West Berlin, Germany. She learned from famous teachers who helped her become an amazing singer.
First Performances
Around 1949, Pilar joined the chorus (a group of singers) at a theater in Spain. Her first professional performance was in 1950 in Algeria. She played a character named Maruxa.
In 1951, she sang her first main role in Spain. It was in a Zarzuela called El canastillo de fresas (The Strawberry Basket). In 1952, she performed as a solo singer in Barcelona. She sang in famous musical pieces like Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
Singing Around the World
Pilar Lorengar's international career began in 1955. She performed at a big music festival in France. There, she played Cherubino in the opera The Marriage of Figaro. After that, she sang in many famous cities like London and Buenos Aires.
In 1958, she signed a contract with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, a major opera house in Germany. She worked with them for 30 years! In 1963, she was given the special title of Kammersängerin. This title is given to very important and respected singers in Germany.
In 1961, she sang at the famous Salzburg Festival in Austria. She played Ilia in the opera Idomeneo. She also performed as Desdemona in Otello in San Francisco. She sang Violetta in La traviata in Berlin and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Throughout her career, Pilar sang in many other cities. These included Madrid, Brussels, Milan, and Tokyo. She often performed with the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra.
In 1985, she recorded an album of Zarzuela duets with the famous singer Plácido Domingo. This album brought her back into the spotlight for Spanish Zarzuela. Both she and Domingo were nominated for a Grammy Award for their singing on this album. Her last big performance in Berlin was in 1987.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1991, Pilar Lorengar and other great Spanish singers received an award for their contributions to music. Pilar then announced she was retiring. She gave her last concert in Spain.
In 1994, she received another honor, the Order of Merit of Berlin. Pilar Lorengar passed away in Berlin in 1996. She had lived there with her husband for many years.
Today, a public high school in her hometown of Zaragoza, Spain, is named I.E.S. Pilar Lorengar. This school focuses on media arts, honoring her artistic legacy.
Recordings and Videos
You can still see Pilar Lorengar perform in some black-and-white videos. These videos show her singing in German versions of operas like Don Giovanni and Don Carlos. In these performances, she shared the stage with other famous singers.
See also
In Spanish: Pilar Lorengar para niños
